Friction-gear.



1 'PATENTED JAN. 21, 1968. L. A. TIRRILL.

FRICTION GEAR.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 23. 1964.

gsxnma-snnm 1.

Fig. l.

Witnesses 3 1nven4'or.

8.47% Leonard ATirriH.

Amy.

P m O 9 I mAv RGM

II LR I 2 exams-sum z.

Inven for, Leonard Affirri I l \Mfnesss.

UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD A. TI RRILL, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, A SSIG NOR TO GENE EAL ELEOTR 1" i COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FRICTION-GEAR.

Specification ofyLetters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2 1 1 908.

Application filed xovember 28. 1904- Serial No. 234451- To all whom it may cvrzeem:

Be it known that I, LEONARD TrRmLL, a citiz n 0; the Unite'l'States, residing at L an, in the county of Essex and State of assachusct-ts, have invented certain new and useful Im movements in Friction-Gears, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to friction drives or gearing of the type disclosed in Patent, No. 589.003, to Hult & Holt, granted December 3'7, 1901, in which a series of friction rings beer res ectively upon the drivin shaft and upon a ixed track or hearing an impart motion to the driven shaft through the medium of rolls carried by the driven shaft and projecting into the rings. Drives of this character, in order to be efiicient,

must be so arranged that the slippage between the drivin shaft and the -frict1on rings is entirely gliminated or at least reduced to an insignificant minimum. Provision is usually made for maintaining the roper tension upon the friction rings by adusting the diameter of the track. Considerable dilliculty has been experienced in providing simple and eliicient means for enabling the track to be adjusted delicately and rapidly without interruptim the 0 oration of the shafts or without dismantling the apparatus i i a greater or lesser extent, and without pro ucing excessive and injurious strains in the operating and supporting arts.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide in a simple and compact construction means whereby a gearing of the character described may be readily -anddelicately adjusted without stopping the shafts or disiurbingjhc structure as a whole. A further object of the present invention consists in so arranging the driving apparatus that the strains incident to producing the pro icr tension upon the friction rings are so distributed that no tendency to distortion is caused thereby.

A further object of the present invention is to combine with an electric motor a gearing of the character described in such a mannor that the whole produces a strong and compact construction.

To the above ends the track member of the gearin is constructed in the form of an open or split ring, wedge-shaped in cross-sec- @1011 and adapted toiit within a rigid outer supporting ring correspondingly inclined upon its interior. A screw-threaded part or other device, engaging with the outer ring, engages with one side of the track, whereby the trackmay be forced inwardly by the screw-thrcadcd part in order to decrease the working diameter thereof. In this way this entire strain comes upon and is borne by-the supporting rin or-bearing which may be made sufiicienty heavy to withstand the strains without being affected thereby.

' The supporting ring is preferably made in one integral piece, whereby the strains are; all contained within a unitary structure and do not tend to disarrange the friction gearing by reason of the'loosenmg of bolts or other fastening devices. The outer ring m y be rigidly supported. in any suitable manner, and where the apparatus is associated directly with a motor, the ring may conveniently be situated between the field ring-of the motor and the and hearing, forming a snug construction within which all the working parts are incloscd. T he adjus in screw may then be conveniently operat' y means of a shaft extending throu h tin nd bearing of the motor and PTOVlrEd with a hand-wheel at its outer end or with a neck adapted toreceive a handle.

In the accompanying drawings I h i illustrated the present invention in one of its forms and as applied directly to an electric motor.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a centrnllo'ngitudin'al cross-section of a motor having ap-' plied at each of its ends afriction gearing constructed in accordnucc with the present invcntion; and Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken upon line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Similar-reference characters will be used throughout the specification and drawing to denote corresponding arts.

Refercnce bcing hmFto the drawing, 1 re resents the-armature of a motor; 2 the fic' ring thereof; 3 the armature shaft ;4 the com mutatorj and 5 the brushes which bear upon the commutator. These parts may be of any usual or desired construction since they in themselves form no part of the present invention.

6 and 7 are the and bearings, but instead of connecting hese directly to thc field ring they are separated therefrom in order toprowhere it is itcsired to drive a eountershaft at one end at one speed, and a second countershaft. at the other end of the motor at a different speed.

Since the drives at opposite-ends of the motor are similar in every respect, except as to the d -tensions of th ir parts, only one of these flhjlhtll gears will he deserihed in detail.

8 and 9 are the inclosing rings su )porting the tracks, and these are arranged respectively between the tield ring and the hearing 6 and between the tield ring and the bearing 7. The hearing (5, ring 8 and field ring 2 are secured together by means of bolts to which are -=ul jected to no other stresses than those int-if cut to the holding of these several parts tirnily in position. The end hcaringfi. the intermediate ring 9 and the lield ring .3 are likewise joined by means of bolts H. instead of the bolts 10 and .l -ot| er suitable fastening means may of course be emplo 'ed. 'ithin the hearings t; and 7 are arranged th counters-halts l2 and 12' which are axially alined with the motor-shaft 3;, and if de sired, the shaft 3 may he provided with extensions l4 and I5 which engage within seats in the adjacent ends of the eountershafts. Atone end the armature shaft is provided with a sleeve it splined thereto or otherwise held thereon against rotation; the purpose (if this sleeve being to take the wear which net'- essarilv occurs at the driving end of the gearing. lhe sleeve 16 engages with a series of friction rings 17 which in turn bear upon the inner surface of the track ring 1h. The track ring 18 and the supporting ring 9 are provided with complementary inclined surfaces 19 and 2t), and the truck ring has a section removed transversely thereof, as at 21, in order to permit the diameter of the ring to he changed sli htly. The ring 9 is screwthreaded internally adjacent the outer end of the inclined portion 30. the screw-threads being adapted to mesh with eomplementarv threads utl an adjusting ring 23. When the ring 23% is screwed into place it abuts against the thick edge of the track ring and. by further turning the ring 23, the track ring is forced inwardly along the incline of the supporting ring 9 and its diameter decreased pl'ujmt'l imtztfll).

In operation the parts are adjusted so that the tension upon the fr ction driving rings 17 is such as to give the most ellieient. driving c nnection: and. as this tension is decreased. due to wear upon the parts. the ad- ]usting ring 23 is screwe inwardly. forcing the track ring 18 in the same direction and further decreas ng its diameter until the proper tension is again obtained. convenient means for operating the ad ust ng ring consists in a. pinion or worm 24 winch meshes with romp ementary teeth 25 upon the interior of the adjusting ring. The member 24 is carried upon the end of the shaft 26 supported in and extending through the end hearing 7. The shaft 26 may be held against axial movement by means of shoulders 27 and 28, one of which engages with the interior and the other withthe exterior of the end bearing plate, the shoulder 28 consisting of a nutscrewed upon the shaft. The outer end of the shaft 26 is formed with an angular )Ol'llOIl '2!) adapted to receive a wrench or handle, or a hand-wheel of some sort may be permanently connected to the outer end of theshaft. In operation, rotation of the armature shaft 3 causes a rotation of the friction rings 17, which in turn transmit motion to the countershaft 13 through rollers 30 revolubly supported upon the arms of a s rider 231 which is secured to the count-ers raft 13. i'lherollers 30 may have any suitableconstruction Milt comprise preferably a. portion 32 mounted upon balls 33 which in turn are supported upon' a. bearing 3231i:- tached to the spider 3i screwed or otherwise secured thereto and adapted to engage with the side faces of the sleeve IG-and the track 18, whereby a perfeet alinement of the parts is maintained.

1f desiredthe. e15 7 tion rings]? may be provided with flanges 35 M lower may he taken from either or both of the eountershafts 12 and 13, and if one of the shafts, for example 12, is permitted to remain idle, then the corresponding driving mechanism serves as a most: eflicient bearing for the adjacent and of the armature shaft; 10-;

namely. the sleeve 16" is no longer a driving sleeve and the friction rin s 17' are no longer ptaver-transmission members, but the friction rings I? serve as rollers upon which the sleeve 16 is supported and partake of a rolling'motion as the motor-shaft revolves.

Itis apparent from the foregoing description that the tension upon the friction rings may be readily adjusted to any desired extent without disturbing the operation of the shafts and without producing any ab01-.:'mal strains in the working parts, substantially the entire strain being borne by the hen.

intermediate rings 8 and 9 and none at al coming upon the bolts or other securing means for the operating parts. Further- :vided in the field ring adjacent the commutator in order to permit ready access to the brushes and commutator. I Although I have described the )rcsent in- 6 vention in great detail as en'ibo icd in one form thereof, I do not desire to limit the present invention to the details illustrated and described except to the extent indicated -in the claims, since various modifications 10 may be made without departing from the present invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters'Iatent of the United States, is,

,1. In combination, a motor field ring, an

endbearing, an intermediate ring arranged bet-ween said field ring and said end bearing, and a friction drive mechanism including a track member supported within said intermediate ring.

.2. In combination, a motor field ring, an and bearing, an intermediate ring arranged between said field ring and said end bearing, a friction drive mechanism incrvling an open .ended track ring, said intermediate ring and '25 said track ring having complementary inclined engaging faces, and means for adjusting the track ring with relation to the intermediate ring.

3. In combination, a motor field ring, an

end bearing, an intermediate ring arranged between said field ring and said end bearing, and-h friction drive mechanism including an open-ended track ring supported within said intermediate ring, said track ring and said intermediate ring having complementary inclined engaging surfaces.

4. In combination, a motor field ring, a': and bearing, an intermediate ring arrange between said field ring and said and hearing,

40 a friction drive mechanism including an 0 )en- .endeddrack ring supported within sai intermediatc ring, said intermediate ring being provided witha wedge face, and means for moving said track ring along said wedge face. 5; In combination, a contractile track ring,

a Supporting ring having a permanent diameter. and means including a ring screw-threaded into said supporting ring for varying the diameter of said track ring.

6. In combination, a motor field ring, an

intermediate ring, an end bearing, a contractile track ring arranged ivithin said intermediate ringj-and means engaging said intermediate ring for changing the diameter of $3 the track rin 7. In combinatir'm; a motor field ring, an endbearin an intermediate ring arranged between said field ring and said end bearing, a. contractile track ring disposed within said intermediate ring, an ad ustable member screwed into said intermediate ring, and m'eans cooperating with said member for chs %mg the diameter of the track ring.

n combination, a motor casing, frictending intoproximity to the exterior of the tion drive. mechanism inclosed within said 66 casing, and means within said casing including an operating shaft projmiting through the casing for adjusting the tension on the parts of said drive mechanism.

9. In fcombination, a motor casing, friction drive mechanism'inclosed within and supported by said casing, means within the casing for adjusting the tension' on the parts of said drive mechanism, and an operating member extending into proximity to the exterior of the casing.

10. In combination, a permanently arranged motor casing, friction drive mechanism inclosed within and supported by said casing, means wholly interposed between one member of said casing and said drive mechanism for adjusting the tension on the parts of said drive mechanism, and an operating shaft for said means.

11. In combination, a motor casing, fric- 8t tion drive mechanism including an elastic track ring wholl inclosed within said casing, means within t e casing for adjusting the diameter of the track ring, and an operating shaft for said means.

12. In combination, a motor casing, friction drive mechanism including an elastic track ring wholly inclosed within said casing, means Wholly interposed between said casing and said track ring for adjusting the diam eter of said track ring, and an operating shaft for said means.

13. In combination, a motor casing, friction drive mechanism including an elastic track ring supported by and within a poron of said casing, means interposed beuween said track ring and said portion of casing for adjusting the diameter of the track ring, and an operating member excasing.

14. In combination, a motor casing, friction drive mechanism including an elastic track ring supported by and within a portion of said casing, means for adjusting the diameter of said track ring including a mem ber screw-threaded into said portion of casing, and means operable from the exterior of the casing for operating said member.

15. In combination, a motor casing, friction drive mechanism including an elastic track ring supported by and within a portion of said casing, means for adjusting the .diamcter of said track ring including a member screw-threaded into said portion of casing, a shaft extending to the exterior of the casing, and gearing between said member and said shaft.

16. In combination, arotary armature of a motor and friction drive mechanisms located at opposite ends of the armature and forminfubearin s for the armature shaft.

P combination, a rotary armature of a motor, a motor field ring, end hoarin s, inmy hand this twenty-fifth day (if Novembe.

termediate rings connecting said field ring to j 1904. said end bearings, and friction drive mech- LEONARD 1R anisms arranged within said intermediate: 1 5 rings and forming bearings for the armature Witnesses: shaft. JOHN A. McMANUs, J12,

Tn \vifnPss whereof, I have hereunto set 1 DUGALD McK. MoKrLLoP 

